Sam Smith. Photo: PA Wire

Chart star Sam Smith says he is practising for his comeback gigs after vocal cord surgery by singing in the shower.

The singer cancelled a string of Australian dates last month after doctors discovered a haemorrhage on them and he was flown to the US to see a specialist.

He told the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw that the problem was caused by “singing too hard for too long”.

He said the last few weeks had been “horrendous” after doctors banned him from speaking while he recovered, adding: “I haven’t properly sung yet, I’ve just been singing in the shower and stuff.

“I’m just trying to take it slow”.

The singer has had a meteoric rise in the last few years. Sales figures released last month show he had the bestselling album, single and most streamed track by a British artist in the US in 2014 when Stay With Me was played more than 147 million times.